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Topic: Kenmore Washer Leaking out the Back (Read 4096 times)

Model #110.82983110, this washer was leaking a small amount of water from the back of the unit during the wash cycle. The customer wasn't worried much about the water since it was such a small amount, but it was a good thing they called because often small leaks can result in serious and expensive damage if ignored.

Looking for WaterLeaks can sometimes be difficult to locate and aside from finding a hole in a hose or the side of the tub, often require some time consuming investigation to locate. Because they are often intermittent or of such a small quantity, if you don't catch them in the act, you are left with taking an educated guess as to their source. One clue that will remain from a water leak is the trail of white soap residue that can be seen after the water has evaporated and in the absence of a visible leak, may be your best clue as to where the water is coming from.

Finding the SourceAfter removing the cabinet, I found a small amount of water sitting in the back rail of the base. It is not uncommon to find the the remnants of water here and on the back panel since sometimes water will splash back there during the rinse cycle, but it quickly evaporates only leaving it's soap trail clue that it was there. But here I found standing water and the drops that were coming from the rear leg of the tub tripod. When these legs are formed, there resulting bends form a channel that normally doesn't hide water, unless the source of that water is a leak at the center post. The center post on the direct drive washer is the part that is inserted through the bottom of the tub and provides the pathway for the gearbox and basket drive tubes. It is rare for one of these gaskets to leak, but when they do, it is usually slow and difficult to find.

Now with all the clues pointing to the tub gasketI removed the basket and tub from the tripod and found where water had been leaking and pooling in the tripod channels. Once enough built up, the water would run down into the rear base rail where it would leak out onto the floor. After a quick gasket replacement, this washer was again holding water.